After a stint as player-coach at Notts County, Paul Hart made his first foray into management as he took over at Chesterfield Town in 1988.

In his three years at the helm, he reached the play-offs, but was fired in 1991 with the club in the fourth division.

After a youth coaching spell at Nottingham Forest, Hart took charge of the Leeds United academy. Several of the players he helped bring through would star as Leeds reached the 2000/01 Champions League semi-finals.

Having taken charge of Forest's academy, in the summer of 2001, Hart was named manager at the City Ground. He guided the club to the First Division play-off semi-finals where they lost in extra-time to Sheffield United. But after two wins in 22 matches in the following campaign, Hart was fired on 7th February 2004.

Within weeks, Hart was put in charge of Division Two side Barnsley. However, he failed to mount a challenge for promotion and was sacked a year later.

There was little more joy to be had at Rushden & Diamonds where he took over in May 2006. An eight-match winless run led to him leaving the club by mutual consent in October of the same year.

In March 2007, Hart was appointed Director of Youth Operations at Portsmouth. He took over as caretaker manager until the end of the season when Tony Adams was fired on 9th February 2009. The Lancashire-born tactician guided the club to safety, ensuring a seven-point gap between Pompey and the relegation zone.

On 21st July 2009, Hart agreed to join the south coast side permanetly, signing a two-year deal.